SEC schools can be fined up to $1 million for violations of COVID-19 protocols

One day after ESPN's Alex Scarborough reported that multiple SEC institutions are set to receive conference revenue reductions for failures to comply with sideline protocols for completing the football season amid the coronavirus pandemic, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey explained that schools could face cumulative penalties of $1 million for health and safety violations. 

Sankey didn't divulge which schools have been fined or the money value of those penalties. Both Scarborough and Heather Dinich reported that fines start at $100,000 and then increase by $100k for each offense.

"My premise is, our head football coaches are leaders, the most visible people in their programs," Sankey said about members of coaching staffs not properly wearing face coverings while on sidelines. "They set the tone. They have that responsibility in this environment."

Sankey added: 

"First week was, 'After Week 1, there seems to be some misunderstanding, here's a memo of clarification. Make sure this is widely circulated and everyone understands their responsibility for wearing masks.' The second week was less friendly, with the clarification that accountability can include fines, removal from the sidelines, or suspensions. We will impose financial assessments to athletics departments, withholding from conference revenues."

Sankey explained that the SEC employs individuals who monitor game broadcasts and report back on potential violations that include coaches not wearing or improperly wearing masks and a lack of social distancing on sidelines. 

The SEC is also observing crowds that attend games this fall. 

"The second week we had some student sections that were just too close together, third week the same," Sankey explained. "Each of those weeks we tried to figure out how to provide reminders, clarifications, and one of the questions is, 'Should we be more aggressive from the conference office?' Conference offices don't regulate fan attendance, typically. That's why we, right up front, said it's campus decision-making, local decision-making, state decision-making. Here are some expectations. The question is, what do we have to do to make sure each of our programs is fully engaged in managing those expectations properly? That question comes from the scenes on TV that raise concerns, and rightly so."

Florida-LSU and Vanderbilt-Missouri games scheduled for Saturday became the first SEC contests of the season postponed due to coronavirus-related issues. Alabama head coach Nick Saban and athletic director Greg Byrne tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, but Saban may be cleared to instruct from the sideline during Saturday's game against Georgia if he produces three consecutive negative test results.